Armed and Dangerous
by sachariah
Summary: She had made the right choice. The only question was, would he do the same? Series; Final vignette now posted. Rex/Ahsoka, with appearances by Commander Wolffe and Fives; set during S5:E18-20.
1. Armed and Dangerous

**Armed and Dangerous**

* * *

"General Skywalker has just issued an all-points bulletin on Commander Ahsoka Tano. She's killed three clones and should be considered armed and… dangerous."

Even as the words rolled off his tongue Rex knew they were a lie; he couldn't mask the reluctance in his voice as he relayed the General's hasty command. But it seemed he didn't have a choice - an escaped prisoner must be captured, and without any credible alternativd explanation for the clones corpses at his feet, Rex had to report the facts as he saw them. No matter how wrong he was sure they must be.

In response to his conflicted announcement, the Coruscant High Security prison complex lit up around him with sirens, lights, and the shouts of panicked guards. Commander Fox bolted after the General, and the 501st Captain was at his heels in seconds, leaping over the dismembered bodies of the brothers that had already fallen. The chase was on, and Rex was at the forefront whether he liked it or not.

The one reassuring factor - if there was such a thing in the midst if this madness - was the General's stubborn belief in the innocence of his Padawan. It was abundantly clear that Anakin Skywalker was no more convinced of Ahsoka's guilt than Rex himself was; there seemed to be an unspoken understanding between both men that while the Togruta Padawan was not to blame, her method of clearing herself was severely flawed. Surely if Ahsoka would comply with a fair investigation, things would become clear, and the whole ordeal would prove to be a mistake.

Although given the nature of the "evidence", Rex had reason to doubt whether any investigation would lead to a satisfying - let alone just - end.

When he and Commander Fox finally caught up with the General, the chase had devolved into an all out brawl. Rex was speechless as they arrived at the edge of the prison courtyard; clones swarmed along every corridor and passageway, while tanks and armored vehicles rumbled across the perimeter of the complex. Despite the General's repeated orders, many of the shots filling the night sky were full power blaster bolts, the urgency of the situation having prompted many of the clones to shoot to kill rather than risk the reprisal of a desperate Jedi fugitive.

_"…should be considered armed and dangerous."_

But it wasn't the massive show of force that took Rex's breath away - at the center of the chaos was a slim figure, black against the brilliant green light of her lightsabers, fending off a ridiculously overpowered army of men and machines intent on bringing her down.

Even as his stomach churned at the _wrongness_ of the sight, something akin to pride welled inside Rex and he and Fox followed General Skywalker down one of the long gangways. The young Padawan was masterful in her defense; her movements were graceful like that of any Jedi, but the alertness and the strategy behind her every leap and feint were not skills begotten by some Force trick. Ahsoka had indeed taken to heart the advice he had given her so long ago now, and it was her hard-earned experience that now enabled her to survive even while hopelessly outnumbered.

"Come on!" General Skywalker shouted again as he broke off from the main platform, trying to head off the fleeing Padawan. Rex felt his muscles grow taught as they came closer to the battlezone, his grip on his blasters becoming tighter than a hydrovise. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to place his finger on the trigger, though every instinct within him protested that he was leaving himself dangerously vulnerable.

_"…armed and dangerous."_

Dangerous to who? Was it even possible that Ahsoka had committed the horrific deeds that seemed to be unfolding around her? Would the Jedi Commander who had risked her own life for her men countless times turn on them now? And with what sort of motivation?

Rex's gut twisted as he scanned the courtyard; the guards had encircled the fugitive Jedi, with gunships hovering above and illuminating her petite figure with their blinding spotlights. She had lost one lightsaber, and her defiant stance belied the exhaustion that was exerting control. It appeared the pursuit was over, and Ahsoka's desperate flight had come to a sputtering halt. Though ostensibly he had been helping to detain her, Rex felt a strain of hope die within him, a hope that somehow things wouldn't have come to this, that some new intel would have come in, or even that Ahsoka might have escaped capture.

General Pong Krell may have shaken Rex's faith in the Jedi, but even that horrific incident couldn't reconcile the drama unfolding here. Everything about the Besalisk Jedi had testified to a monster wholly obsessed with his own power and glory. Krell was everything Ahsoka was _not_.

And the evidence of that distinction was stark indeed. As Rex took stock of the situation through his visor he couldn't shake the almost damning reality testified by his eyes and the casualty count on his HUD.

Ahsoka had been labeled a murderer. She had been pursued by men with every intent to kill her. And not one clone had fallen in the chase.

_"…armed and dangerous."_

But Ahsoka wouldn't have been herself if she didn't pull yet another trick out from her sleeve. Sure enough, even as her Master tried once again to call out to her, the weary Padawan vaulted away from her would-be-captors, and within a few seconds she had carved an opening into one of the sewer pipelines that ran out from the complex. With only the briefest hesitation, she disappeared inside, and the chase was on again.

* * *

_"…should be considered armed and dangerous."_

The pursuit through the sewer tunnels would have been distasteful enough even without the aspect of chasing down his friend and Jedi Commander, but Rex's mind was already far too unsettled to dwell on the liquid filth beneath his boots or the sickening stench that seeped into his helmet. He and Commander Fox kept up a steady jog, both men being experienced enough to know that they'd make better time by keeping a sure footing rather than risking a messy slip and dragging themselves up again. Now they were backtracking, Rex having realized that the General had broken off from the others, and the two clones were now rushing towards the spot where Rex's commlink indicated that Skywalker had come to a halt.

"Damn Jedi whelp," Fox growled as he panted into his helmet, running just alongside Rex. "Think she might have killed the General?"

"Never," Rex replied coldly, making a sudden leap to avoid a fallen crossbeam within the pipe. "The Commander wouldn't dare harm one of her own men, let alone her Master."

"How long are you going to deny the obvious, _Captain_?" Fox sneered, turning to cast a helmeted glare at Rex. "We have her on _holofilm_ murdering the prisoner, and now a dozen of my brothers are still laying in pieces within the prison."

"I don't have answers, Commander, you know that," Rex answered, his eyes fixed straight ahead as a wash of light appeared farther down the tunnel. "But I know for a fact that _she_ would never commit these crimes. You don't know her, not the way I do."

Commander Fox let out a snort. "Maybe _that's_ your problem."

Rex had no reply, and there wasn't time for one as his eyes settled on two dark silhouettes at the mouth of the tunnel, on the brink of a massive sinkhole that led deep into Coruscant's underworld.

"Commander Tano!" he shouted, and broke into a full run. A hundred horrific possibilities ran through his head as he closed the remaining distance. Could she be threatening her Master? Attempting suicide?

He couldn't believe either option, but by this point Rex didn't know what he believed anymore; he just knew he had to get there first, he had to be there in time to stop it.

He was too late.

Ahsoka was standing at the very edge of the pipeline, precariously perched above the seemingly bottomless pit. General Skywalker's voice was strained, desperate, but Rex didn't hear any of it. His eyes were fixed on the petite figure standing at the edge, with her clothing torn and soaked in sewage, her face cut and darkened with soot. He heard her voice, pained and exhausted:

"…we both know no one else will see it that way. I'm sorry… wish me luck."

She looked out over the abyss, and something about her gaze belied the fear inside. Fear of the unknown, fear of being without anyone to trust, fear of betrayal.

She looked back once more, and Rex felt his body go rigid as their eyes met for perhaps the last time. For an instant he thought she might have been about to say something, or that perhaps he would, but it was too late. She had already pushed herself off the edge, and before Rex could so much as blink, she was gone.

Commander Fox swore quietly, while the General stared in silence into the gaping pit where Ahsoka had fallen. Rex pushed past his fellow clone, catching a brief glimpse of a small dark figure landing upon a bloated elevator ship, before descending into the depths of the underworld and disappearing from sight.

"Commander Fox," the General's tired voice spoke over the whistling of wind rushing past the mouth of the tunnel. "Call of the prison search. Alert the police and have the clones return to the barracks to await further orders."

"Yes sir." The Commander's voice faded as he moved back into the tunnel, giving out orders over his commlink as he did so.

Rex stood beside his General in silence for a long moment, gazing into the dark abyss that had swallowed their mutual friend. "Sir," he finally ventured. "You don't believe she's really behind all of this… do you?"

Anakin shook his head. "No, Rex. Something is terribly wrong here. And I'm going to get to the bottom of it." His fists clenched in frustration, but his weariness had clearly sapped any will to rave about the terrible turn of events. "I _will_ find her," he muttered to himself. "I _will_ get her back."

Rex didn't reply; somehow he knew it was best if he did not. His gaze remained on the gaping pit that led to the undercity, the hotbed of scum and villainy that lay deep beneath Coruscant's glamorous skylines. He couldn't help her now, he couldn't have her six like he had in times before. Ahsoka was well and truly on her own.

_"…should be considered armed and dangerous."_

A death-defying escape. Impossible odds. A_ damning _casualty count of exactly zero.

_"No one else will see it that way."_

One man did. Though his opinion counted for nothing in the eyes of the law, Rex _knew _Ahsoka Tano was not guilty, even if he couldn't account for the evidence of her alleged crimes.

But she _was_ deadly, she was dangerous. She was capable and she had the benefit of years of experience. Rex had done everything he could for her, and now he could only trust that she could look after herself.

He still believed in her, even if he was the last one.

The General turned away, and Rex turned to follow, then hesitated. He recalled her last request before jumping, and turned back one more time to look down into the pit. Taking a breath, he cut his external comm channel, and murmured into his helmet. "Good luck, Ahsoka."

* * *

_Just had to get this off my head after the last episode. Honestly, that chase scene is second only to Umbara as far as foreshadowing Rex's reaction to Order 66. You will note: he never once fired on Ahsoka. Just saying._

_Please review, if it's not too much trouble. :)_


	2. Six

**Six**

* * *

They had captured the Commander.

All in all, Captain Rex wasn't as surprised as he thought he might have been. For all of Ahsoka's skill and experience, she was not accustomed to being a fugitive, and the reach of the law extended even into Coruscant's undercity. As it turned out Rex's unit had been on the wrong side of the warehouse to apprehend the Padawan, and that grim task had fallen to Commander Wolffe of the 104th, the unit famously assigned to General Plo Koon - a Jedi who incidentally had played a key role in Ahsoka's early years, and of whom she had spoken highly - even affectionately - during many a conversation between her and Rex.

Seeing her stunned and carried - and not with much care - by her Jedi mentor's own troops was a sad image indeed. And while Rex felt a definite relief that Ahsoka had been found, alive, it was heavily weighed by the knowledge that she had nothing but trouble awaiting her when she reached the surface again.

"Commander!" he exclaimed unthinkingly as they reached the scene, before quickly falling silent as the Generals came into view. He held his peace reluctantly, pushing his way forward to see his fallen superior as she hung between two troopers, both of whom wore the distinct grey armor of the 104th's "Wolfpack".

Safely masked by his helmet, Rex cast a bitter scowl at the two men, thinking for a moment that their elite unit was all too aptly named.

His attention then turned to Ahsoka's limp figure, while he half-listened to the two Jedi Masters as they assessed the situation. She was alive, thank the Force, but she had clearly been through more than one bitter fight before being cornered. Her last lightsaber was now missing, her arms and face bore the marks of fresh bruises and scratches. Her face was drawn and weary, and even in unconsciousness there was a sense of despair about her expression.

It took every shred of self-control to restrain himself from forcibly pulling her away from the strangers who held her captive, and Rex couldn't hide his frustration when he spoke to the two clones. "She's injured. Why haven't you gotten her medical attention?"

Two helmeted heads swiveled to look at each other, before the man to Ahsoka's right replied, "Orders are to keep her restrained, sir. Her condition was not judged critical-"

"Trooper," Rex's voice was close to a snarl as he cut the man off. "Commander Tano is clearly injured. You _will_ get her medical treatment immediately."

"No they won't, _Captain_."

Rex froze at the distinctly menacing voice. The two clones who held Ahsoka stiffened and turned towards the unseen speaker, who had approached from behind Rex. A warning chill ran down Rex's spine as he slowly turned around, finding himself facing the imposing form of Commander Wolffe himself.

"The traitor is stunned. She won't be receiving any more mercy than that, Captain. Stand down."

"She's a Jedi, and a Republic officer," Rex countered. "The least she deserves is proper care by a medic."

"_She_ is a traitor and fugitive of the law, Captain," Wolffe replied, taking a step forward - Rex noted that the clone Commander walked with a slight limp and seemed to have suffered some damage to his right arm. "Clones and civilians have died because of her actions. Her comfort is not a consideration." Wolffe tilted his head forward in a subtle challenge. "Unless you know something _more_ about her activities, Captain?"

The quiet threat in Wolffe's voice rang like an alarm in Rex's mind, and while part of him rebelled at the thought of leaving his Commander's care to these calloused men, the greater danger was clearly evident. Ahsoka _was_ considered a criminal by Republic law, and to exhibit his protectiveness might only implicate both her and Rex in yet another alleged conspiracy. Though it went against every instinct and emotion within him, Rex knew he didn't have a choice - he could do nothing for Ahsoka by open belligerence to another superior.

"My apologies, sir," Rex responded beneath his breath, turning away from the clone Commander. Despite the very real risk of suspicion, his eyes were drawn back to the young Togruta between the two 104th troopers. The relief at seeing her alive had all but evaporated by now, and a sense of hopelessness began to settle within Rex. Ahsoka's fate was now in the hands of the law, of officials and Senators to whome she was nothing more than another specimum of a mysterious caste of Force-users, with a dangerously long list of crimes to her name. Finding her here, in the middle of a crumbling warehouse full of illegal explosives, would only be yet another damning peice of evidence to be wielded against her by those who didn't _know_ her, who had no experience with the selfless, sacrificial life she led.

There was nothing Rex could do about it. The likelihood that he or any of the men of Torrent Company would be consulted as witnesses was almost nil. And frankly, even Rex struggled to imagine how so many criminal acts had managed to unfold around Ahsoka in so short a time. And now that Asajj Ventress had seemingly been linked with her escape, to assert that none of these events had been planned by Ahsoka strained credibility, even for a man who trusted her as much as Rex.

But for all his dedication to logical, fact based analysis, this was one question where Rex was prepared to be fully irrational if need be. Ahsoka Tano, the Commander who had repeatedly placed herself between harm and her men, the Jedi who quietly mourned the lost troopers she couldn't bring home, the friend who had faithfully offered encouragement and hope during the darkest moments of his life...

_Not guilty._

Finally, a familiar voice echoed through the warehouse, as General Plo Koon ordered the search team to head for the pickup point. Rex waited for the two men who held Ahsoka to begin moving, then fell in step behind them, his eyes never leaving the unconscious form that hung between them. In his peripheral vision he saw Commander Wolffe mirror his moments, to Ahsoka's left, but he didn't acknowledge the other officer. Ostensibly in anticipation of a counterattack, he let his right hand fall to his holstered blaster.

It might be for the last time, but he had her six.

* * *

_Another write-off. Also FYI - I've updated the previous chapter some based on some insightful reader feedback. Feel free to take a peek. :)_

_As always, thanks for reading - reviews are much appreciated. _


	3. Goodbye

**Goodbye**

* * *

The flight back to the Temple was a grim one indeed.

After contacting the Council and making their report, the two Jedi Knights remained silent, rarely speaking a word or casting a glance behind them at the captive Padawan in the rear of the ship, or the two men who stood on either side of her. Which was just as well, as Captain Rex wasn't keen on either of the Generals' eyes being on the scene behind them.

Two clone officers, two genetically-identical men, yet who where lightyears apart in experience and in their points of view. And the battered form of a fallen Jedi, a lost friend, sitting as a disgraced captive between them.

Commander Tano was still unconscious, though the effects of the stun bolt were wearing off, and she occasionally stirred in her forced sleep. The sounds of her breathing and quiet groans were all but lost in the whistling of smoke-laced air as it rushed by the open fuselage of the gunship, and the brisk dusk winds caused the sleeping prisoner to tremble instinctively.

Watching her shiver was a torment all of its own.

Had the circumstances been different, Rex wouldn't have hesitated a second to take her in his arms and offer whatever warmth or comfort he could provide over the cold durasteel floor where she sat now. He might have even entertained wild and fanciful notions of how to arrange an escape, some way to free her from her wrongful imprisonment and get her away from this fiasco of justice gone wrong.

But there was no point in even pondering such outlandish action, regardless of whether Rex could ever see himself actually following through with it. In fact, even attempting to make Ahsoka more comfortable was not a feasible proposition, not with the Jedi Generals present who had been tasked with detaining Ahsoka. And certainly not when across from him, with his own gloved hand over her left shoulder, stood the commanding form of Commander Wolffe, with his one-eyed scowl alternating slowly between his captive and his 501st counterpart.

Rex's attention was torn between keeping his vigil over Ahsoka and returning the clone Commander's suspicious glare. After a long period of uneasy silence, he looked up, meeting Wolffe's cold gaze directly and staring down his fellow officer. The scarred clone's visage was only made more imposing by the cybernetic receptor that took the place of his left eye; it was an unsettling image, like looking into the face of a being that was both human and droid at once.

The two men stared hard for another moment, their concentration broken only briefly when the gunship bucked and strained against a turbulent air current as they gained altitude. Still Rex never relaxed his grip over Ahsoka's shoulder, and his hardened gaze refused to relent even against Wolffe's bitter expression.

Finally the 104th Commander broke the hostile silence, speaking for the first time since they had taken off from the warehouse. "You seem to place unreasonable confidence in your Jedi Commander, Captain," he warned, squinting his natural eye. "Your defense of her is distinctly illogical."

Rex felt his brow strain as he glared even harder at the other clone. He knew that Wolffe was baiting him, seeing whether he could lure Rex to say something imprudent, either to be used against the Captain or the captive Jedi. Commander Wolffe's reputation as an iron-fisted leader with a hatred of law-breakers and traitors was well known among the ranks of the GAR, and Rex knew that his own history would not endear him to such a by-the-books style of officer.

He chose his words carefully, but he could not let Wolffe's challenge go unanswered. "I've worked alongside Commander Tano from the first day she reached the front, Commander," he replied evenly. "I know her too well to simply assume her to be guilty of such uncharacteristic actions."

Commander Wolffe's scowl turned to a sneer. "Assume her guilt? What galaxy are you from anyway? You _saw_ her with that Separatist witch only hours ago. Perhaps if it was your mighty 501st that had faced those two traitors you would have come away with a more sensible opinion."

Rex flinched inside, though he kept up a stubborn front against the Commander's accusation. He _had_ seen the alleged Separatist terrorist with Ahsoka, fleeing deeper into the lower levels just as their gunships arrived. While initially he held out some hope that they had simply misidentified her accomplice, Commander Wolffe and his team had later confirmed Ventress's identity up close and personal. It was a blow, a deep, painful blow to Rex's tenacious belief in his Jedi Commander's innocence; he could propose a few possible reasons why the two fugitives had been together, but there was precious little good he could say for Ahsoka's decision to ally with a Sith woman.

Except…

"Commander," he suddenly replied, as an idea struck him that both filled him with dread and a burning brand of hope deep inside. "Tell me, when you encountered Commander Tano and Ventress… what were the casualties?"

Wolffe stared back at him, his face utterly motionless, and during that eternal instant Rex felt like his legs might give out at any second. His grip on Ahsoka became tighter than he'd ever grasped his blaster, his gloved fingers bracing against the cold, bare skin of her shoulder. It was as though he feared that, depending on the clone Commander's reply, she might be taken away from him forever; that every last bond of trust he still placed in her might be shattered beyond repair.

"There were none."

Wolffe's reply was forced, even stilted, and it was everything Rex could do to remain cool and stoic as a gravitational well vanished from within his chest. It was true, he _knew_ it was true. He took a breath, willing himself to stay in control as he asked a follow up question. "None? Not even by the witch?"

The Commander's scarred brow creased in what Rex could only describe as frustration. "That is correct, Captain," he answered, his voice almost too low to be audible. "Commander Tano was… insistent that they - she and Ventress - was not to harm the men."

If Rex didn't believe in miracles before, he certainly couldn't credit anything else that he didn't throw his head back and break into a triumphant laugh at that moment. A thrill of relief, of affirmation coursed through his every vein, because he _knew_ he was right. _This_ was the Ahsoka Tano he knew, the brave warrior who would rather sacrifice her own life than harm another without just cause. Her heroic efforts to preserve rather than destroy the lives of her own pursuers - to the point convincing a Separatist terrorist to spare Wolffe and his defeated troopers - gave the lie to whatever circumstantial evidence was brought to near against her.

There was still no guarantee that the law would see it that way. Ahsoka was still a prisoner, and would stand trial as a criminal. Rex would do whatever he could to ensure that these facts were testified to by _someone_, but he knew better than to think that they alone would convince a disinterested - if not outright prejudiced - Senatorial court.

He could only hope that somehow, some way, justice would be served.

In the meantime, however, Rex had the satisfaction of knowing that Ahsoka was still the honorable, heroic young woman he knew so well, and that even now, bound and unconscious on the deck of a battered gunship, she managed to flummox the hardened, narrow-minded assumptions of men like Commander Wolffe.

"Well then," Rex began speaking again, a twist in the corner of his lips as he held Wolffe's gaze, "Perhaps my confidence isn't so illogical after all."

"She's a _traitor_, Captain," the Commander growled, leaning over Ahsoka to scowl into Rex's face. "Restraint after the fact does nothing to atone for her criminal acts."

"Except to prove wholly inconsistent with the crimes she's been accused of," Rex replied, without backing down. "You cannot deny it, Commander. Every time she's been engaged by our troops she has made every effort to avoid clone casualties. That is _entirely_ fitting with her behavior ever since she joined the 501st. Your so-called 'traitor' has put her life on the line for men like you and me more times than I can recount."

"Past actions prove _nothing_."

"With respect, sir. _Experience_ outweighs everything. And experience with Commander Tano is something you've clearly lacked until now." Rex's lips quirked into an outright smirk, and he leaned in towards the 104th Commander. "From your report, I take it you owe her your life. That's typical for Commander Tano, I can assure you." Removing his hand from Ahsoka's shoulder for a second, Rex extended it towards his fellow officer. "Welcome to the club."

Commander Wolffe drew back abruptly, his expression somewhere between disdain and surprise. He remained silent, and his own grip on Ahsoka's shoulder loosened to only a token hold, just enough to be within regulation parameters for a physically restrained prisoner. Just at that moment the gunship banked gently as it rounded one of Coruscant's glass towers, which blocked the setting sun and cast a shadow that hid the clone Commander's armored form, only the soft lights within his cybernetic eye remaining clearly visible.

A glance over his shoulder confirmed that they were entering the approach pattern for the Temple landing platform. The satisfaction Rex had felt at Wolffe's unease quickly fled as he faced the prospect of being separated once again from Ahsoka, this time by lawful and legal forces rather than the depths of the undercity. His hand had already returned to her shoulder, but the rigid contact did nothing to alleviate the ache in his gut, the sense of finality, of inevitability - that soon she would be gone from his life, perhaps forever.

And he couldn't so much as tell her goodbye.

Could he?

The Jedi still had their backs turned to them, and seemed to be wrapped in their own muted conversation. The shadows from the surrounding towers now blocked most of the remaining rays of daylight, making a some degree of movement possible without drawing undue attention. It was almost certainly against regulation, and might earn him a reprimand or worse if reported, but as dusk continued to settle and the open cabin was shrouded in the gathering darkness, Rex felt a deep conviction that this might be his last opportunity.

He decided he would take the risk while he still had the chance.

He dropped to one knee, releasing his hold on the handrail above him and settling down in a kneeling position beside Ahsoka. Extending his left arm, he encircled both her shoulders - despite the dimness he could just make out Wolffe's gloved fingers now barely touching the Padawan's left shoulder. _Just as well._ Rex felt confident that their previous discussion had unnerved and shaken the clone Commander enough that he'd let him be, even if the 104th officer must have felt appalled at the scene at his feet.

Rex shifted towards her, letting his torso shield Ahsoka from the gusts rushing through the cabin while his arm covered some of the exposed skin of her shoulders. It might have been his imagination, or perhaps wishful thinking, but he thought he felt her lean into his armored embrace, and within a few moments he could feel a faint warmth under his arm as her body regained some of its heat. He heard a soft sigh escape her lips as her head lolled over, and the crown of her montrals rested against his neck.

It was not the first time he had held her like this, but Rex knew it could very well be the last. He pulled her close, watching over his right shoulder as the massive form of the Jedi Temple rose and began to block out the darkening horizon. Soon, the prison guards would be meeting them, ready to tear Ahsoka from his arms and lead her to an uncertain, and likely undeserved, fate.

There was nothing - or precious little - that Rex could do to affect that future.

He looked down at her again, her face faintly illuminated by the landing beacons that crowned the outboard wings. Her eyes were shut, her lips pressed tightly together, yet her expression seemed otherwise relaxed, almost serene. To Rex, the marks and bruises she had sustained couldn't detract from the simple… "perfectness" of her complexion, no more than the accusations of men like Commander Wolffe and Admiral Tarkin could tarnish her honor.

"You'll make it," he murmured under his breath, wishing she could hear him and yet strangely grateful she could not. "You'll get through this one, kid. I know you will."

The engines whined as thrust reversers kicked in and began to slow down the gunship in preparation for landing. The sun had all but disappeared completely by now, a faint wash of reddish light over the horizon the only sign of its presence. Rex's throat seemed to tighten into a knot as the craft began its descent; they didn't have much more time.

He glanced down at her one more time, and somehow everything else seemed to vanish from his consciousness. Commander Wolffe, the Jedi, the Temple, even the harrowing chase and the memories of Ventress and the prison chaos suddenly felt lightyears away.

He pulled her tightly against his side, and leaned his head towards her, pressing the side of his face against the cool, dust-encrusted skin of her right cheek. She sighed, her breath flitted across his face, and Rex closed his eyes.

In a few minutes, it would be over. He would stand as Captain alongside his superiors and stoically hand over the captive Padawan to strangers, and return to the barracks as though nothing had happened. But for now, for an instant, he wasn't a Captain, and she wasn't a captive. They were only friends.

And this was goodbye.

* * *

_This is the last part of this series, for now at least. Thanks to all for reading, and please leave a review if you can. :)_

_EDIT: Believe it or not, I posted this part early by accident. :P I'm not going to pull it since I don't want to spam folks with duplicate alert emails, so... enjoy. :)_


	4. Aftermath

**Aftermath**

* * *

As suddenly as she had entered his life, she was gone.

Gone. It was a difficult word to fully appreciate, and Captain Rex wasn't quite sure he had grasped the ramifications of it even now as he sank into a chair in his office, back at HQ. It had all happened so quickly, it was hard not to wonder if it had all been a twisted nightmare. But the logical side of him stoically confirmed what he already knew: Ahsoka Tano, Jedi, Commander, comrade, friend… was gone.

Rex pressed his lips together, leaning across his desk to retrieve his datapad and run through the duty roster for the day. It was a sham, a useless gesture of activity that did nothing to shake his thoughts from the events of the past few days… and hours.

Ahsoka was _gone._

Gone, yes, but alive and whole, and that counted for something. In fact it might have been what made the sense of shock, of _loss_ so much more poignant, because pragmatically speaking Rex probably should have wholly approved of his - former - Commander's departure from the Order that had so callously abandoned her. It was for her own good that she get away from the tangled web of wartime ethics that was slowly strangling the Republic she had tried her best to serve. If the Jedi could not be counted on to protect their own, then Ahsoka's chances of success would be far better on her own.

That was voice of his logical side. But he wasn't really paying attention to it anymore. Not when his entire being was weighed down with a crushing sense of _loss_, that he, who had no claim upon Ahsoka Tano other than as her subordinate, had been robbed of far more than a CO, or even comrade.

The fact that she had taken the time to seek him out, to say goodbye, was a small comfort. Their final meeting had been almost criminally brief, but it was better than nothing. She had told him of her decision, of the Council's offer, and her choice.

He had listened to her, in shock at first, and then indignation, but as he watched her battle her own grief while she spoke to him, Rex somehow managed to come to an acceptance, at least for the moment. He didn't argue with her, and he could tell she appreciated the fact, and he somehow found it in him to laud her courage, her independent thinking, her integrity and her honor. They had exchanged thanks, words of encouragement, and even a few friendly jabs, though Ahsoka regretfully turned down his offer to let her give a farewell address to the men.

_"It's not fair to them, Rex… it would be such an honor, but… I can't. I can't be strong for them anymore. To see me now, after this kind of fall…_ she had closed her eyes, fighting back tears she didn't dare to show. _"It would only discourage them. It would only rob them of whatever faith they have left in this system."_

The unspoken part of her refusal was clear and glaring to Rex. Ahsoka had already lost that faith. She couldn't risk letting that happen to the men she had once led in its cause. She couldn't allow them to follow her lead and suffer the consequences for doubting the system.

He had assured her that he would give the men her best regards, and even memorized a handful of personal messages to those she knew best. Then a short embrace, the sensation of a single tear running down his collarbone as he held her close for an instant, and she slipped out of the alleyway behind the barracks. She didn't look back, and though his entire being ached to see her face just once more, Rex silently praised her focus and her resolve. A new future was unfolding before Ahsoka Tano, and to look back now, to waver, would be a grave mistake.

She hesitated at the corner of the barracks, her slight figure silhouetted against the last gleams of sunlight over the horizon.

And then Ahsoka Tano was gone.

A sudden thundering of footsteps echoed just outside the door to his office, jarring Rex from his melancholy reminiscing. He turned to face the door, his datapad lying forgotten on the desk as he prepared to greet his visitor; though the doorchime never rang, Rex had already recognized the gait by the time Fives burst through the door.

"Rex! Kriff, where've you been vod?" the ARC trooper seethed as he came to a stop at Rex's desk. "I've been burning through my pager trying to raise you!"

A grimace came over Rex as he realized he had utterly failed to recognize the buzzing of his communicator, while lost in thought. But he pushed the embarrassment away and met Fives' reddened face with an even expression. "My apologies, Fives. I've been… off my game today."

"Is it true?" Fives demanded, not bothering to press issue of the ignored commlink. "They said the Commander was found innocent, and they _expelled_ her?"

"Not in that order. Sit down, Fives," Rex motioned towards another chair, silently urging his brother to settle down.

Fives took the seat, but his voice didn't lower a notch. "How does that make sense? She's _innocent_! She should have been reinstated immediately!"

"Fives," Rex interrupted, giving the other man a stern look that he knew would get his attention. "Lower your voice," he warned, leaning forward in his seat. Ahsoka's departure wasn't exactly classified information, but Rex knew it was hardly something she'd want to draw attention to. The rumor train was bad enough as it was.

Fives reluctantly acquiesced, falling silent as the Captain began to explain. "This is much more complicated than that, Fives. Ahsoka- Commander Tano _was_ expelled, then found to be innocent, as you heard, in a military tribunal. She was returned to the Jedi. She was offered reinstatement. She was offered Knighthood."

Fives sucked in a breath, and Rex watched as understanding dawned on his quick-thinking brother. "They offered… and she..?"

Rex only nodded.

A muffled curse was all Fives could manage at first, and Rex could tell that his fellow clone wasn't taking the news well. After a moment of stunned silence, Fives ventured in an uncharacteristically muted tone, "Did she say goodbye?"

Rex nodded again, and though he saw a flash of hurt cross his brother's face, he knew that Fives understood the special bond between the Captain and Commander. They had known each other longer than she had any of the clones, and to be frank, Rex had been much quicker to come to trust the young, gangly Padawan than had any of his subordinates.

"Did she give any reasons?" Fives asked, setting his elbow on the desk and holding his forehead with one hand, his fingers tweaking at the locks of jet black hair.

"Some. She couldn't in good faith accept reinstatement from the Council and take the vows. It would have been impossible for her to honor their leadership anymore after they had expelled her so easily."

"The kriffing _di'kute_," Fives growled, glaring down at the desk, his free hand clenching into a fist. "I can't blame her for that, I admit. At least by leaving she won't have to suck up to them again. If it were me I would have taken those shabla fools by the throat and knotted their-"

"_Fives_."

His brother shot him a glare at the warning, but after another muttered swear word, Fives shook his head resignedly. "Sorry." He stroked his brow, still staring at the durasteel tabletop before speaking again. "I guess walking away was the best punishment she could offer. One less promising young life to assimilate into their Order." He scowled for a minute, then looked up. "Did she say anything else? About why she was leaving?"

Rex sighed, then hesitated, suddenly unsure of his next words as a wave of long-repressed feelings and memories began to claim his thoughts. Fives' presence, while never unwelcome, had also never ceased to remind him of another nightmare, of another time when faith in a revered system was put under assault. A distant, shadowy world where Rex learned that the worst failures could come when he refused to question the powers that be, when he refused to relinquish faith in a system that had proven first incompetent, and then sinister.

"There _is_ more, Fives. More than she actually verbalized. More…" Rex furrowed his brow as he searched for words, turning to look out the small window to his left, where the light show of nighttime Corsucant had supplanted the last gleams of sunlight. Streams of airborne vehicles poured down the skylanes and created seemingly slow-moving ribbons of muted lights, weaving between the glass towers with almost hypnotizing regularity. The scene was dark, mute, and strangely ominous.

"More what?" Fives prodded, none too patiently.

His eyes not leaving the view from the window, Rex replied in a hard whisper. "More than is safe to discuss like this."

The almost lethal tone of voice was certain to alert his brother to the seriousness - and possibly treasonous - nature of Rex's thoughts, and Fives didn't disappoint. He stood, walking towards the door and quietly locking it, before returning to his seat again. The precaution was the only practical one available, though Rex had long ago inspected his office for any signs of listening equipment, and the walls were as well-insulated as they came.

Taking his seat, Fives leaned forward towards the Captain. "What are you talking about?" he asked in a low tone, both hands now lying on the desk between them - open, palms up, a subconscious gesture of honesty. "You know you can trust me."

"I do trust you," Rex replied with a shake of his head, his voice pitched equally low . "It's myself I'm not sure I can trust, right now."

He could feel his brother's keen gaze fixed on him, and Rex knew that Fives wouldn't take long to trace his train of thought. Still, he needed to speak, needed to confide these doubts with someone he knew would understand them all too well.

As far as Rex was concerned, there were only two individuals in the galaxy capable of understanding what he was feeling. And one of them was already gone.

"Ahsoka-" he almost corrected himself before realizing there was no longer any need to refer to her by rank- "didn't leave out of spite, like you suggest. She _could_ have humiliated the Council. She could have forced them to own their despicable treatment of her."

"And she would have been damn _right_ to."

"But she wouldn't have been _Ahsoka_," Rex countered. "It's not her nature, not her way. She wasn't looking for revenge. And that's not why she left."

"Well fine," Fives waved a hand in frustration, "If that wasn't the reason, what was it? She did tell you, didn't she?"

"Yes and no."

"Rex…"

Fives exasperated expression would normally have elicited a faint grin from Rex, but he was in no mood to smile now. Turning in his seat, he stood up, and strode slowly towards the window, a gloved hand rubbing his chin where Ahsoka's montrals had touched him during their hasty embrace. His eyes settled unseeingly on Coruscant's glimmering skyline, and he heard the noise of another chair scraping the floor and the Fives' footsteps as he approached and stood beside him.

"She didn't tell me in so many words; and she didn't need to," Rex spoke quietly. "She knew… that I knew."

A short silence preceded Fives' prodding. "Knew what?"

Rex took a deep breath, keenly aware that he was about to give voice to thoughts and doubts that he had all but tried to deny till now. Treasonous, subversive thoughts, thoughts of a man who had seen too much, who had experienced things he was never intended understand. Thoughts that ran counter to everything he was supposed to be, even the resolute, fearless and loyal soldier he believed himself to be.

"She didn't need to tell me," he repeated, his voice low and dark. "She didn't need to tell me what it's like to have your trust decimated by those who should have guarded it best. To realize that you've been used, and that you're easily discarded when your usefulness is ended. She didn't need to tell me how it feels to lose faith in your cause, to question everything you thought you were ready to die for."

"Umbara," Fives breathed, his haunted tone sending a chill down Rex's spine as the revelation finally hit HQ. "This was Ahsoka's _Umbara_."

Rex nodded slowly. "Exactly that."

The ensuing silence between the two men was deafening. Above the quiet hum of the air recycler and distant power generators, it seemed Rex could hear an entirely new din emerging from deep within his consciousness. The shouts, the screams of dying men, the thundering of alien war machines, the triumphant roaring of a Besalisk Jedi.

_"I_ was _using you!"_

The weariness, the defeated slump of his shoulders as he stared out over the courtyard full of wounded and dying men, and for an instant, a traitorous instant, realized he no longer knew if it meant anything all.

_"What's the point of all this? Why?"_

The passion and fire of his younger brother, fearless and belligerent in the face of a tyrannical Jedi superior. His voice, earnest and angry and demanding. Challenging him, berating him, forcing Rex to hear the things he didn't want to accept.

_"You really believe that? Or is that what you were engineered to think?"_

Rex's eyes drifted to where Fives stood beside him, silent in thought. The scarred and weathered face that, except for the tattoo and black hair, mirrored his own, was no longer that of the feisty and naive shinie he had picked up on the Rishi listening outpost. Despite their genetic lineage and their time together in the ranks of the 501st, Rex and Fives' careers had taken drastically different turns, and he doubted that either man knew the full story of what had brought the other to the perilous place they were now. And yet here they were, confidants and guardians of a deadly secret, the only living men in the whole Grand Army of the Republic that, to Rex's knowledge, dared to question the almost-sacred cause they were bred to fight for.

"Then the real question is," Fives mused, meeting Rex's sidelong gaze, "Why didn't you go with her?"

The sudden question, in typical Fives' fashion, caught Rex completely off guard, and for a moment he could only stare blankly at his brother. "What are you saying?"

Fives stepped forward where he could better face him, their faces less than a arm's length apart as his brother spoke in a muted voice. "You know what I'm saying, Rex. You're in the exact same skiff as Ahsoka, and we both know it. You don't trust the Republic or even the Jedi to do the right thing. You don't believe that this war is really about anything noble anymore."

"Fives-"

"Admit it Rex. You practically said so yourself on Umbara. You didn't believe there was a point to this war."

"But I _did_," Rex corrected, turning from Fives to face the window once more, his hands clenching into fists at his side. His gaze swept past the steams and towers of lights to the faint points of stars that were barely visible through Coruscant's thick and polluted atmosphere. His thoughts followed his line of sight, as the memory of a distant world, a lonely farmhouse, a rebellious, passionate brother came almost unbidden to the forefront of his mind; memories of a time when he thought he understood, when he thought everything made sense.

"I _did_ believe it was worth it all," Rex insisted, his eyes narrowing. "I did believe that this war was for a just cause, that our goal was to preserve life and establish peace, to secure a future for our- for _their_ children," he almost coughed to mask his slip-up, but he knew Fives would have seen through the ruse. "I believed that our sacrifice would ensure justice and freedom for future generations."

"And you _don't_ believe that anymore," Fives stated evenly. "Do you?"

Gritting his teeth, Rex scowled into the night sky, Fives' question echoing in his head like a blaster shot in an empty hangar; except it wasn't really a question. And he couldn't bring himself to voice an answer. So he shook his head.

It was enough for Fives. "Then my original question still stands. If you can't in good faith fight for the Republic cause, then why are you staying? You clearly believe Ahsoka made the right choice. Why aren't you?"

It was a challenge, just like on Umbara, only Rex wasn't sure he had a stubborn retort to offer this time. He was shaken, unsure of himself, and that was an abhorrent feeling to a man like Captain Rex.

It was the very reason why he had never allowed himself to dwell upon his own doubts, after the nightmare that was Umbara. And even now, part of Rex still held tenaciously to the ideal that had become integral to the man he was - that _somehow_, it was still worth the sacrifice, worth the horror and the bloodshed. It _had_ to be.

But he didn't really believe it anymore.

Fives' gaze was burning holes in the side of his face, and Rex sighed as he searched wearily for an answer. There _was_ one, in fact, one that he had held on to like an anchor long before Cut Lawquane, and even before Ahsoka had entered his life. It survived yet, though it had been shaken more than once, and it was perhaps last thread that still bound him to an increasingly pointless way of life.

"It's different for me," he spoke in a near murmur. "Ahsoka was abandoned by her own people, her own… family," he winced at the rarely spoken but all-too-familiar word. "She was set against the ones who should have had her back all along."

He turned to regard his brother, who returned the gaze with a thoughtful one of his own. "And..?"

"And that's not the case with me," Rex continued, finding some conviction to back his words, "My place, my family has always been here, in the GAR, in the 501st. Yourself, Jesse, Kix, all of Torrent. We've stood together through hell and beyond. I like to think we still do."

"Vode an," Fives murmured in assent, "Brothers all."

Rex nodded, the apparent agreement of his fellow clone having granted him some level of relief from the prior pressure. "I meant what I told General Krell; my duty to keep my men alive and well is just as binding as my oath to the Republic itself." A grim, half-laugh came from deep within his throat. "Maybe more so, after this discussion."

"Traitor," Fives smirked, before crossing his arms and stroking the dark stubble on his chin with one hand. He maintained a respectful silence for a moment, but then spoke up again, his voice edged with a dark warning. "You can't assume that won't change, Rex."

A faint chill ran through Rex's frame, though outwardly he only hardened his expression, turning his eyes back to the window. "Of course I can't."

"The army isn't the same as it once was, vod," Fives went on. "Sergeant Appo is well on his way to a Captain's commission last I heard, and his approach to battle strategy is just as brutal as ever. And it's not just him. All the new command clones hitting the deck in the past few months are primed to kill… and not just droids."

"So were we."

"This is different, Rex, you know it is. The army is changing. Men like Sergeant Appo and Commander Wolffe are the ones that are climbing the ranks, not you and me. When's the last time you were offered a Commander's commission?"

"I turned it down."

"How long ago?"

"I don't recall."

"More than a _year_. That's insanity for an officer with your kind of experience. You should be turning down offers weekly by now. High Command doesn't trust men like you, or me for that matter. They want men who don't think too much, men who do things 'by the book' like General Krell said. They want men who will commit the most brutal deeds on demand."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Exactly what I said, Rex. The army is changing. The Republic, the Jedi, it's all changing, and can't be naive enough to believe it's for the better." Fives voice fell, and he seemed to be speaking as much to himself as to Rex. "Something is wrong. Something terrible is going to happen, I can almost feel it."

Rex said nothing, because he had nothing to say. It was true; as the war had dragged on with no end in sight, matters within and without the Republic had only deteriorated further. Despite innumerable campaigns and planetary invasions, there had been no tangible process made; no pivotal battles, no lasting results. It was like the Republic was treading water, and the only real effect of the war was to sustain itself. That, and to wage a continual force of attrition against anyone unfortunate enough to be involved.

An attrition to which Ahsoka had finally succumbed. She'd had enough of the charade and chosen to find her own way. And though his chest ached and his throat went taut at the memory of "losing" her, he couldn't say he was unhappy to think she was finally free of the war, to whatever degree that was possible these days. Whatever "terrible" thing that may be coming, as Fives feared, could no longer reach the exiled young Togruta.

Or so he hoped.

He expelled a long, low sigh, turning away from the window and walking towards his desk again. "I don't know, Fives. I have a bad feeling about all of this, as well." He stood still, his eyes resting on his helmet that sat neatly on the desktop to the right of his seat. "But I can't walk away now. It's not the right choice for me."

"Not _yet_, you mean," Fives corrected, stepping up behind him again. "I know you pretty damn well, Rex. You can't stay here forever. One day, this war _will_ end for both of us. It's only a matter of whether it's our choice or someone else's."

"It's ended for Ahsoka," Rex mused.

"Her choice, on her terms," Fives agreed. He stepped closer, and suddenly Rex felt the weight of his brother's hand on his shoulder. "You'll see her again, I know you will. You'll know when it's time to go."

"It won't be anytime soon."

"It'll be sooner than you think, I can guarantee you that." Fives' grip tightened over his shoulder cap, and his voice took on a distant note. "Just be sure you make the right choice when the time comes."

Rex nodded slowly, then turned around, stepping towards the window once more, ignoring the gleaming skylines this time and looking down at the marshaling yard that stretched from the foot of the barracks tower outward towards the perimeter of the base. A pair of AT-TE walkers lumbered by far below, flanked by several squads of armored men, their white figures illuminated only by the faint washes of blueish light from the watchtower beacons. The patrol continued its slow, steady march across the yard, and Rex's eyes idly followed each man's impeccable footstep, stepping to a familiar rhythm that was as drilled into his being as that of his own heartbeat.

Ahsoka had made the right choice, painful as it was.

"May we all make the right choice," he murmured, as Fives approached and stood by his side, regarding the silent march below. "Or may the Force help us all."

* * *

_Okay, so after the S5 finale, I knew I'd have to go back on my word and write one more follow up peice. Much of this was inspired by a chat with **Jade-Max**, who was also kind enough to take a look at this vignette before posting. Thank you so much!_

_EDIT: Thanks to Kalena-ti for correcting my butchered Mando'a. :P_

_And thank _you_ for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts. :)_


End file.
